j9goncalves
| Forum role | Member since | Last activity | Topics created | Replies created |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Membro | Março 8, 2010 (16 anos) |
- | 1 | 0 |
- Forum role
- Membro
- Member since
Março 8, 2010 (16 anos)
- Last activity
- -
- Topics created
- 1
- Replies created
- 0
Bio
It's hard for me to answer the question Where are you from? Usually people want to know the city where we were born, but… one should also feel connected to that place - as it were home. If those two places are distinctive of the city you live in right now, it gets even more confusing.
So I was born in New Jersey in 1989, in 1991 we went to live in a small town in Southern Germany and since 2000 my family moved back to their homeland - Portugal.
Long story short. But so many experiences, so much love and so much sadness slips into an abysm of time… time I don't want to steal from people just because they asked where I am from. (...)
This was the kick-start for me being a little different and quite international, empathic, understanding, patient and adventurous (…)” .
After visiting an arts school until the 12th grade, “António Arroio”, in Lisbon, studying mainly art history and photography, I entered the Art History course in High School, switching after two years to Art, Science and Heritage, at the Fine Arts high school of the University of Lisbon.
At 21 years old I was speaking Portuguese, German, English in this order of preference, and my transdisciplinary Metier varies between history, arts, restauration and conservation, museology, archaeology and heritage.
In the middle of the financial crisis in 2011, I worked in an English speaking office in the German market. Meanwhile, I did some voluntary work in the “Ajuda” Palace, where I restored 483 photographies originals from the 1900's.
I was offered a promotion at the office for my good performance, which I denied.
I took a deep breath, I walked out of the project and started working in a Destination Management Company, designing tours and meeting hotels and… Tour guides. First time I worked with "them" on site was when I knew I didn't want to sit behind the computer at all and I've got stroked by the enlightening idea of transmitting my passion for history and heritage to other people, who happen to actually really want to know about it! Instead of becoming a teacher or a scientist… I'd become a tour guide!
In 2014 I entered the “Instituto Das Novas Profissões” High School in the course "Tour Guiding". In 2018. I was approved at the exam by the Syndicate of Tour Guides SNATTI.
During the year 2019 I travelled about 45.000 km / ca. 25.000 miles in Portugal and Spain and happily guided about 1500 guests around these two countries.